Trial of the Mouse
by Mephiles454
Summary: It's been two weeks since the infamous Christmas when Becky agreed to join the Scarecrow, and has since been reborn as the criminal Scream. But not everything's going to be easy for Crane's little mouse. A dark shadow is on the horizon, and a familiar face from the past may pose more danger to her than anything else. Sequel to The Dance of the Crane. I recommend reading that first
1. Prologue: Stalker in the Night

**Hello, everybody. I'm back. It's been a while, hasn't it? I've decided to make a sequel to my previous story, Dance of the Crane. This one is Trial of the Mouse. **

**There's going to be a lot of development with character in these next few chapters, while a sinister shadow is watched our protagonists fight for their lives. **

**But that's enough suspense. Let's dive into the story!**

**Oh, and just in case I forgot on my last story. I do not own the Batman Universe or the comics, save for two comics that I got for Christmas. Because if I owned it, Becky would have a heck of a lot more development than she had. **

Prologue

Stalker in the Night

In a dark corner of the Amusement mile, a dark figure watched the monitors of his lair with interest. Around him, chemicals brewed and bubbled in their vats; the light of the moon shown through the darkened warehouse, casting shadows around the room, with only the glow of the chemicals providing illumination for the walkways

A henchman approached the figure, whom held up a hand for the henchman to stop, all without looking up from the monitors.

"We located more of the chemicals you needed. Shipments will be arriving in three days."

"Good," the figure replied, its feminine voice revealing that the figure was a woman. "Be sure to deliver it to my hideout by then and have your men guarding the shipments." Her voice dropped to a whisper. "Do NOT lose it."

The henchman gulped. The last henchman to defy her orders ended up being used in her experiments. If he failed…he didn't even want to think about it. "Y-Yes, ma'am."

The figure's face twisted into a grin, as she turned back to her work observing the figures on the screen.

"Soon, my love, I will make sure that nothing will stand in our way," she crooned, staring at the taller man on the monitor. Her eyes narrowed as her eyes caught sight of the smaller woman on the video. "Including her."

Turning away from the monitor, she strides away, unable to watch anymore without losing her temper.

But soon, it all went well, the girl would be eliminated and the man would be hers.

It would only be a matter of time.

**Alright, this is the prologue. Send me a review to tell me what you think and stay tuned for more chapters coming soon. **


	2. Tea Party

**Hey, guys. It's been a bit, hasn't it? I realize the last chapter was a little short. But in all fairness, it was a prologue to the main story here. I hope you enjoy our adventure as we continue. Edit: Sorry about the Format. I had no idea that the format was cramped. Thank you so much guys for telling me.**

Jonathan Crane watched as Scream made her way though the obstacle course, weaving her way smoothly through the winding corridors of the maze. He took notes on her progress. For someone who had only joined a week ago, she was making a good effort on her training.

Becky weaved around another corner. This test was designed to push her speed, cognition, and direction skills to the limit as she raced to the center of the maze. She lightly nicked the side with her metal cane as she ran past it. "So, what's the deal with this test, Crane? I didn't think the Henches needed to train."

Crane laughed. "Really, what does the news media feed the public these days? Every person, rogue or hench, has to train at least somewhat before they go out on their first heist."

"Even you?" she retorted, taking a right turn. She could nearly see the middle, although she could be wrong.

Crane smirked as he pressed a button. As Becky round the corner and entered into the spacious middle, a small platform rose out of the ground. On it, perched squarely in the middle on a small, paper plate, was… "Cheese?" Becky gaped, before rolling her eyes. "Really, Crane? Really?"

Crane snickered. "Well, you are quite a plucky little mouse, so I thought you would like a…reward for all your troubles. It's the least I could do," he said sarcastically, nibbling on a piece of chocolate cake from the balcony he was perched upon.

"Ha, ha, very funny, Crane," she said sarcastically, rolling her eyes. "Now, where's the real thing?"

Crane smirked, before pressing another switch. The platform went down into the floor. After a few seconds, the platform rose again, this time displaying a single slice of chocolate cake. Scream grinned, grabbing the plate as the panels reset themselves, allowing her to walk across the room, and climb the stairs to join Crane's side.

"So," she said, wiping her brow. "How did I do?"

Crane checked the time on his watch. "15 minutes."

Becky sighed. She had been trying her hardest to beat her time, yet her disabled leg kept slowing her down. It frustrated her a little that her body refused to move to her will. "Not again," she groaned under her breath.

Crane looked up from his notes. From the many years and a few months of observing her actions and mannerisms, he could tell when something was up. "Is something wrong?"

Becky shook her head. "It's nothing."

Crane only grunted. Women. He shrugged mentally. He returned back to his research.

The phone rang, startling both out of their separate thoughts. "I've got it," Crane muttered, before picking up the phone. He barely suppressed a scowl. He hated having his work interrupted, especially when it concerned his newest partner. "Hello?" he asked into the microphone.

"Oh, Jonathan. I was hoping to contact you," the excited voice of Jervis Tetch sounded over the speaker.

"What is it, Tetch? You do know that this is an emergency phone only, correct?" Crane growled, rubbing his temples. It was always a handful to talk to Tetch, whether he was speaking Wonderlandese or not. On one hand, it took a great familiarity with both Tetch and his favorite book to get his point across, but even when he was sane, it took a bit to get his attention, and when you did, it took a great deal of patience to not slap duct-tape over his mouth to shut him up. Thankfully, he wasn't as annoying today.

"Well…I know," Jervis said, slightly downcast at being chastised, before instantly perking back up. "But the reason I called you is an emergency."

"Did Batman find your hideout again?" Crane replied, sighing.

"Well…no."

"Then it's not an emergency," Crane snapped, about to hang up.

"Wait, wait, Jonathan!"

"Yes, Tetch. What is it!" Crane roared.

"I-I was only wanting to invite you to a New Year's feast at my place. I-I baked you pumpkin pie," the Hatter whimpered, sounding almost like he was about to cry.

Crane sighed. A crying Tetch was the worst Tetch of all. "Alright, alright, Tetch. Fine. I'll come to the party."

"Hooray! Calloh Callay!" Tetch shouted into the speaker, causing Crane to lean as far away from the phone as possible. "This'll be great! I'll be preparing the tea. When will you be coming?"

"Um…" Crane looked at his watch. "Around…6:30." He decided that would give them a little bit of a head start on the Bat.

"All right, 6:30 it is," Tetch replied, marking it on his Alice in Wonderland post-it notes. "That'll give me just enough time to prepare the tarts and tea."

"I'll also be bringing along a plus-one," Crane replied, glancing over his shoulder towards Becky, who was slowly eating her slice of chocolate cake.

"A plus-one? Excellent! I'll prepare a seat for her. Does she like cake?"

"Chocolate with chocolate icing."

"Alright, I'll see you at the tea party," Tetch said, before hanging up.

Jonathan put down the phone, before starting to gather his supplies.

"What's going on?" Becky asked, grabbing her mask.

"It seems we've been invited to a party," Crane replied, slipping on his mask and straw hat.

"And where might that be?" Becky replied, depositing her plate into the trashcan as Crane led her to the roof of their warehouse, which was located in the Amusement Mile towards the northeast.

"You'll see," Crane replied, before taking her hand as they began to run along the rooftops, keeping an eye towards the sky to spot the patrolling Bat as they made their way towards Tetch's hideout in the Bowery.

"So, this is it?" Becky remarked, gesturing at the sad, little hat shop at the corner of the Bowery, Chap's Hats, right across from the Gotham museum.

"This is it," Crane stated.

"It's kinda…small," Becky replied.

The Scarecrow smirked, guiding her towards the door.

Opening the door, she was greeted by a huge array of hats. Sun hats, bowler hats, baseball caps, fedoras, cowboy hats. It seemed like every hat of every kind was here in that little store, along with several that appeared to be masks as well.

Becky couldn't help but gape at all the different headgear in the store. She had never seen so many hats in her life. Everywhere she looked, she saw hats. She had no idea someone could own so many hats.

"Impressive, isn't it?"

Becky nearly jumped ten feet in the air as Jervis Tetch's voice squeaked from the counter. Tetch unlatched the door of the counter and made his way towards her. "These are all my hats I've collected over the years. The top hats are a favorite, but I like to collect a few others in my travels," he grinned, giving a short, little bow. "Oh, but where are my manner? Jervis Tetch, the Mad Hatter, at your service," he said, as he took off his hat in respect.

"Um…Becky," she replied, unsure of whether to reciprocate his bow or whether to just offer a simple handshake.

Tetch's eyes lit up at the mention of her name. "You wouldn't happen to be THE Becky, would you? Oh, of course you are! Why else would you be accompanying dear Jonathan on such a lovely evening?" He took them by the wrists and raced for the doors, throwing them open in a frenzy as they raced down the numerous stairs of the Hatter's domain. There were several rooms that were much bigger than they originally appeared, and some appeared to be almost too small to get through.

Becky looked over at Crane. "Is he usually like this?" she whispered to him.

Crane murmured back. "Sometimes. You've caught him on a special occasion."

When Tetch finally halted his search, he slowly opened the door. "Welcome…to Wonderland."

The room he had brought them to was very bright and colorful. Trees were painted on the walls, which was bordered by lovely red roses, half of them painted red and half of them painted white. In the center sat a long table, whose seats could have seated at least a good ten people. And at the head of the table, tied up with a thick rope, was Alice Pleasance herself.

"Alice?" Becky exclaimed, shocked.

"Becky?" Alice exclaimed, also shocked.

Becky then noticed that her friend was tied up, and turned to Tetch. "Why is she tied up?"

Tetch just smiled. "Well, I didn't want her to run off before the party started. What's a party without the guest of honor?"

Becky flinched at his sinister smile. It was even worse then Crane's, by far. She also noticed a flaw in his plan. "But if she's all tied up, how is she going to eat?"

Tetch frowned. "Hmm, good question. Hold on a second," he told them, before loosening Alice's bonds. "There, now she can eat."

Becky was about to open her mouth to protest, but a short glance from Crane silenced her. She needed to play it safe if she wanted to make sure Alice was safe. And against someone as unpredictable as the Hatter, she needed to keep her guard up and do what he asks, at least, within reason. And if something should happen, she had her fear gas. But she didn't want to use it, not while Alice was here. She didn't want her friend to think of her as a monster now that she sided with Crane.

Alice immediately slid her hands out of her bonds, rubbing her tender muscles.

Tetch sniffed the air. "Oh, the pastries are ready," he said, dashing towards the kitchen. He came back with his arms loaded with cake, petit fours, tarts, pies, and saucers loaded with tea. The cake he carried was a tall, chocolate monstrosity that was nearly taller than the man who baked it. Heaving with all his strength, he placed the cake onto the center of the table, distributing the smaller pastries to his guests. "

Tetch, what on earth have you been up to?" Crane said, nearly balking at the quantity of food before him. He had no idea how he and Becky could eat that humongous cake.

The Hatter grinned sheepishly. "Well, I heard that you were bringing a plus-one, and I guess I got… a little…carried away."

"A little?" Crane remarked sarcastically, his eyebrows rose.

Even Becky was stunned. She had never seen so many sweets in her life. But as she looked over at Alice, she knew that the young woman was very confused. She wandered over to her side. "Hey, are you okay?" she whispered.

Alice nodded. "I'm fine, Becky," she whispered back, occasionally glancing over at the Scarecrow and the Hatter. "You're with the Scarecrow, aren't you?"

"I…" Becky started to reply, but then hung her head in shame. "Yes."

Alice looked down, "Oh, I see. I understand," she said softly. "Alice-"

"We'll talk about this later," she replied, suddenly sounding cold.

Becky nodded, slightly sad, as she went back to Crane's side.

"Um…Jervis?" Alice spoke up, getting the Hatter's immediate and undivided attention. "Can I please be untied?"

Jervis blinked, before his eyes started to fill with anger. Becky gulped, suddenly very afraid for her friend. "Why should I? You'll certainly run away again, especially since I was the one to kidnap you again! Why should I let you have a chance to escape, when I know you'll never come back?!" he screamed, his voice getting shriller and shriller as he stomped towards her until he was looking her in the eye.

Alice recoiled, shocked. She hadn't known how much her presence meant to him, or the fact that he was so afraid of her leaving him. "Jervis, I promise not to leave until the party's over, okay?"

The Hatter blinked, surprised. His eyes filled with hope. "You will?"

She nodded. "I will." She smiled. "Besides, it would be rude of me to leave when you went to all this trouble to make these pastries."

Jervis beamed. "Well, thank you, Alice." He quickly released her from her bonds. Then he turned to address the whole group. "Now, let's eat!"

The trio of villains and one civilian happily gorged themselves on sweets.


	3. Promise

**Sorry about the cramped style from the last chapter. I'll try to fix it as best I can. Thank you all for being so patient while I figure out this site.**

Becky looked around the suburban area of Gotham City. She knew that, after the tea party incident a few days ago, she had a lot of explaining to do. She just hoped that her sudden appearance with Crane hadn't shattered her friendship with Alice.

In her past experiences with her previous friendships, something like this would most definitely end her being associated with those friends, not to mention the friendship itself. She doubted that wouldn't be the case this time. And if it were the case, she'd rather have the closure of knowing that the friendship was over than continuing to live in fear of what could be. That she couldn't stand at all.

Becky took note on where she was, careful to keep a mental map of the neighborhood so she wouldn't get lost. Eventually, she found the house. She didn't know how she could have missed it. It was right in the center of the cul-de-sac.

She paused as she came to the porch of the house. She could still walk away right now. She could still have the memories of the good times and possibly delude herself into believing that the friendship had never ended.

But she also remembered what Crane had said about the subject, when she had asked which he had preferred, facing the fear or running away. "You can't run away from your fears, Becky," she repeated to herself. "Filling your mind with more things to fear will only drive you crazier and crazier and crazier until you eventually snap."

Taking a deep breath, she rang the doorbell. The sound of locks being unlatched greeted her ears before the sight of the girl herself. "Oh, hi, Becky," Alice greeted, somewhat surprised to see her at the door. Previously, she had only seen and talked to her around the University. She had not actually visited her home.

"Hey, Alice. Mind if I come in?" Becky asked.

"Um…sure," Alice replied, leading her inside.

The house was filled, but roomy. It looked like the average home of a college student, with tons of books scattered on the small coffee table. But there also a few toys scattered around the floor.

Becky picked up one. It was a small, stuffed plushy of a pterodactyl.

"You don't have any kids around here, do ya?" she asked, looking around her living room, half of it occupied by textbooks and the other half filled with children's toys.

Alice giggled, blushing a bit. "No, no. It's for my teaching class."

"Oh," she replied.

The two talked for a while, enjoying their time before the inevitable question would be asked.

"So, Becky. Why exactly did you stop by?" Alice asked, curious. She had wondered why her friend would stop by her house in the first place. Becky's shoulders slumped, her expression downcast.

"Look, Alice, about the tea party…"

"What about it?" She wondered, confused by her friend's response. She had a wonderful time at the party, despite being surrounded by two of Gotham's most famous rogues. Jervis was nice as well, and treated her like a lady, which made her quite happy. Gentlemen were few and far between, especially in Gotham. But Jervis still surprised her at points, even if he was somewhat crazy.

Becky sighed. This was it. She mentally prepared herself to say goodbye to her friendship with the blonde. "Look, I can understand if you don't want to see me anymore. Really, I wouldn't see me anymore if I were in your shoes. And if that's how you feel about it, then I understand," she murmured, preparing herself for the sting of her friend's rejection.

Alice looked alarmed. 'What? No! That's not what I meant at all, Becky," she cried, grabbing her friend into a hug. "I just meant that I was worried about you. That's all."

Becky blinked. She wasn't…. being cast aside? They were still…friends? She summed up all her feelings in one magnificent word. "Huh?"

Alice smiled. "But of course I would be worried! I hadn't seen you in a week, and in Gotham, that's a long time to be missing."

"Oh," Becky relaxed, glad that Alice was still her friend.

Silence reigned for a little while in that house, before being ousted by Alice's words.

"Becky? Can you promise me something?"

The redhead nodded.

"Can you promise me that you won't become so entranced with him that you kill someone?"

Becky's eyebrows rose. "Of course not, Alice! I would never do that." Though her words and tone were confident, in her heart, she didn't know if she could keep that promise.

"Are you sure?" Alice replied, worry in her eyes. "I mean, I'm sure Harley Quinn didn't want to kill anyone when she first joined the Joker, but now she doesn't even bat an eyelash at death."

Becky frowned. "Alice, I'm not Harley Quinn. And Jonathan is not the Joker. He won't hurt me."

"Jonathan?" Alice questioned, wondering about that name.

"Jonathan Crane," she stated. "You know, the Scarecrow."

"Oh," Alice replied, finally getting the picture. "But why wouldn't he hurt you?"

Becky smiled, and began to tell her story to the girl, starting from the time of the Greenville attack by the Scarecrow all the way until she had accepted his offer.

"But why would he spare you? I mean, he must have gassed hundreds of people before you and not cared at all," Alice said, wondering.

Becky chuckled. "That's a question I've been asking for ages, Alice, and I still don't have an answer. Maybe he knew I wouldn't be scared of him."

"But how?"

She shrugged. "I don't know. But he never tried to fear gas me again. Sure, he had it around him, but he never used it on me again during that time."

"Hmm, that's strange," said Alice. "It's almost as if he doesn't want to. It's like he, I don't know, likes you."

Becky laughed. "A-are you sure that you haven't been spending too much time with the Hatter, Alice? Him, liking me? As if. We're just colleges, nothing more."

Alice tapped her chin. "Well, I don't know-"

"I mean, that's like saying you have a thing for the Hatter, right?" Becky laughed.

Alice nervously joined her laughter. "Y-yeah, right."

"Well, it's getting late. I have to go back to the hideout. See you soon?"

Alice nodded. "Yeah, see you soon."

With a small wave, the two parted ways for now.


	4. The Iceberg Lounge

**Hey, guys. Sorry about not updating. I've been a bit busy with preparing for my graduation from high school, as well as various tests and other projects that I've had going on, as well as a bit of writer's block. But don't worry. This story won't be done until I've said its done, and not a minute before! So, sit back and enjoy the story. By the way, most of the characters in this story, save for Crane, Harley, Ivy, and Tetch are based off their appearance in the Arkham series, just for those who don't know. I've decided this because Crane would be a bit too frightening and a bit ridiculous to go around town in his Arkham appearance, what with it being winter and all. Harley and Ivy's other costumes are a bit too slutty for my taste, and Tetch looked like a hobo in his appearances. Everyone else's costumes I've either liked or don't mind as much. **

The sun was just setting when Becky made her way back to the hideout.

She rapped twice, once, and then twice again, alerting the thug on the other side of the door that she was an ally.

Quickly, lest the Bat happened to start patrolling and happened to see their hideout, she raced inside, as the thug bolted the door.

It still surprised her sometimes that Crane had kept his word. None of the henchmen had dared touch her, for fear of what the Scarecrow would do to them if they disobeyed.

And it was little wonder. She had seen first-hand what the Scarecrow could do, and even she was sometimes frightened by what could possibly happen if she had gotten on his bad side while she was allied with him. She counted herself lucky that he didn't seem to mind her as much.

But still, she had to wonder why. Based on his interactions with her and Tetch, he was quite a recluse, and preferred it to stay that way.

She wasn't surprised to see Jonathan in his usual place, perched on a large stool in his underground lab, mixing different chemicals together and recording the results.

Becky was only allowed on one condition to enter his lab, and that was if she didn't touch or hinder his experiments, whether it be making his chemicals for the fear toxin, or testing it on the random hobo he sometimes brought in. She knew the later was wrong, but if he didn't get someone, he would have to test it either on himself or her, if he was desperate. And after her last encounter, she would rather not experience that again.

"Crane?" she said, placing a hand on his shoulder, which he reacted immediately to by nearly spraying her in the face with fear toxin.

"Becky, what have I told you about physical contact?" He growled.

"Not to try," she recalled.

He nodded, setting the toxin aside. "Now, why are you here?"

"Well, you said we would be going to the Iceberg Lounge by 7:00," she replied.

"Yes, and…"

"It's 7:00 right now."

Crane glanced at his watch with surprise, before sighing. "So it is." He turned to her. She had on her Scream costume under her grey coat with the mask slightly sticking out of her right pocket. "Everything set?"

She nodded. She had mini-fear toxin capsules in her left pocket in case of the Bat. It wouldn't last as long as the spray, but it would give them enough time to make a getaway.

"Good. Now, let's go," he said, leading her out the door towards the Iceberg Lounge.

The Iceberg Lounge was ordinarily a very high-class establishment, serving only the best of the best in return for a hefty amount of cash from their guests.

But at night, when all the wealthier guests went home, the criminals would gather together to discuss their plans, tell tales of how they (almost) killed the Bat, or just drink their troubles away.

The room was laid out in a circular plan, with tables congregating around the walls. The centermost portion of the room held a gigantic iceberg that floated lazily around the icy pond. The lights bathed the room in a soft, icy blue, with neon lights around the bar displaying the types of beer and wine available. Music radiated from the antique jukebox near the iceberg, soft jazz relaxing the criminals and getting them in the mood to talk.

Becky immediately felt like a beggar inside the palace of a king. She had never been in someplace so grand before in her life. Even the grand Solomon Wayne Courthouse was nothing compared to this place. "Are you sure I'm allowed to be here?" she asked Crane, feeling very small in comparison to this grand place.

Crane nodded. "You're fine. Most of the rogues come here." He glanced over at her. "You'll blend in perfectly."

She was about to reply when a black and red blur launched itself at Crane, screeching all the while.

"Long time, no see, Professah," Harley squealed, swinging Crane around in a death hug.

"Child, please…let me…go," Jonathan croaked, her grip around his torso squeezing the air out of his lungs. That girl had a strong grip.

"Oopsy! Sorry, Professah," she replied, smiling sheepishly as she let the older man go.

Becky felt the air knocked out of her as Harley turned and immediately pounced on her. "Hi, there!" she greeted, grinning at her new friend.

"Um…hi," Becky replied, uncertain how to react to this impromptu reaction. "Can you please put me down now?"

"Okey dokie," she sing-songed, leading her towards her table. "I'm Harley, by the way. What's your name?"

"Scream."

"Oooh, that's such a cute name," Harley squealed, nearly breaking Becky's eardrums. "You've gotta meet my friend Red. She's a riot."

"O-okay," Becky stammered, uncomfortable with the woman's energy. She wasn't used to dealing with this much energy in a single person. Even Jervis appeared calm compared to her, and he was the Mad Hatter. _If she wasn't holding onto my arm, she'd probably be bouncing off the walls like rubber_, she thought, trying to keep her balance as Harley raced across the room towards her seat.

As Harley pounced into her seat, nearly decapitating Becky with her abrupt halt, she frowned, as she saw no one in the other seat.

"Aww, I thought Red would be here," she pouted, her lower lip puckered sadly.

"Um…if you don't mind me asking, who or what is Red?" Becky asked, curious. "And is she red? Or is that just a nickname?"

Harley stared at her for a moment, before bursting out laughing. "Hahaha, no, she's not red, or, at least, her body isn't. Just her hair. That's why I call her Red. She's really Poison Ivy. Oh, look, here she comes now."

As Harley had said, a very voluptuous woman had decided to join them at their table. She looked normal, compared to some of the other rogues, except for the leaf-like patterns on her body and the greenish tint of her skin. She had on a leafy dress that looked much like a one-piece bathing suit without the straps. And, like Harley had said, she had red hair that seemed to make her head look like it had a bad fight with a flamethrower.

"Hey, Harley. Who's the new girl?" Ivy asked, her sensual voice caused many of the male patrons near her to look at her with lust positively dripping from their eyes.

"Oh, this is Scream. She's new," Harley explained, grinning at her new friend. "She came in with Professah Crane."

"Really?" said Ivy, looking at Becky with a critical eye, sizing her up.

Becky gulped. She was being assessed by one of the most infamous of the rogues, but she was also surrounded by not one, but two rogues that she had just met. If they suddenly decided they didn't want her in their group, she had no defense again them.

Ivy finally leaned back. "Hmm, you seem nice. Alright, I'll let you stay."

Becky, who had been holding her breath the entire time, let it out in one big sigh of relief. "Thanks, I guess."

As the three began to talk, Becky started to relax. Maybe they weren't so bad after all.

With Becky distracted by Harley, Crane maneuvered his way through the crowded bar towards the back. He had arranged a meeting with the Penguin to discuss weapon plans.

The Penguin was a squat, little man, with a long pointy nose that almost looked like a beak. He was dressed in a large black tuxedo in the most current fashion of the rich and famous in Gotham. A long cigarette pipe, complete with cigarette at the very tip, perked from his mouth, which was drawn in a long, low scowl at the paperwork in front of him. A long top hat graced his head, almost bigger than or equal to the height of Jervis' blue top hat. Two bodyguards flanked him, both making sure that their boss was protected at all costs.

_Not that it would matter,_ Crane thought, as he weaved his way through the throng. _The man's more likely to die from cardiovascular problems or cancer than an armed gunman._

The Penguin looked up from his paperwork as Crane's shadow, cast by the overhanging light, drifted towards him. "Well, well, if it isn't the Scarecrow, returned from 'is cornfield. Did ya finally decide to rejoin the land of the livin'?"

"Cut the pleasantries, Cobblepot," Crane barked, a scowl on his face. The Penguin was one of the many villains that tried his patience, and the less he saw of him, the better. "I only came here to get information."

Oswald smirked, letting out a small chuckle, which sounded much like the tittering of a bird. "I thought so. But ya do know that information comes at a price."

Crane smirked. "I know that." He pulled out a small briefcase, which he slid over towards the Penguin.

Cobblepot opened the case, and grinned as he saw the faces of Benjamin Franklin and his 99 twin brothers staring up at him. "Very well," the Penguin replied, pocketing the cash. "What do you wanna know?"

"Has there been any shipments coming in from ACE chemicals?"

The Penguin pursed his lips. "Hmm, one, I believe. Comin' in a month or two from now." He narrowed his eyes. He knew better than to assume Crane was just here for information. He could have gotten it just as easily from Nigma. There was another reason he was here. "But what are ya really here for, Scarecrow? Ye're not just lookin' for information, are ya?"

Jonathan smirked. Reaching behind him, he pulled out a long, metal cane, just like the model Becky was currently using. He sat it carefully down on the table. "I also want you to augment this cane with a few special gadgets."

Cobblepot picked it up, testing the feel and balance of it, before looking at Crane questionably. "What do ya need with this, Crane? This isn't yer usual style of weaponry."

Crane smiled. "It isn't. It's for someone else," he replied, his gaze leaving the Penguin and settling on Becky, who seemed to be enjoying herself with Harley and Ivy.

The Penguin followed his gaze, and burst out laughing. There had been rumors going around that a new henchgirl was in town. But now, not only had he confirmed that she was working for the Scarecrow, as was evidenced by her attire, but that she was the same, plucky girl that had Crane tied in knots about her for weeks. And judging by his slightly raised smile, he seemed to be still tied up about her. This was hysterical. He had a bet with several of the rogues on if the Scarecrow would ever find a girl that could actually stand him. And now, he was finally going to collect the money those poor suckers had bet.

Crane stared quizzically at Cobblepot. That was it. He had finally flipped. He had wondered when he would. After all, it was almost guaranteed that a rogue would go insane if they spent long enough in the business.

"Ah, I see now," the Penguin said, finally regaining his ragged, fish-smelling breathe. "You seem to have the 'ots for her, haven't ya?"

At this, Crane spit out his wine in surprise. How had he-? How did-? "She's not my girlfriend!" he sputtered, thankful that, once again, having a mask on most of his face had saved him from being humiliated because of his blushing face. The Master of Fear doesn't blush.

The Penguin chuckled, enjoying this reaction out of the Master of Fear. It was a rare thing indeed to catch Crane off-guard, nonetheless actually flustered about something. The man was very good at hiding his emotions, even without the mask. "Right, right. I believe ya," he said sarcastically, his grin stretching wider than the Grinch's.

Crane started to sag in his seat. He hated being laughed at, especially by the Penguin, who was already laughed at behind his back, and all because his new apprentice was a girl. Really, if it had been any of the regular brutes, they wouldn't have even batted an eyelash. But no, it had to be a female henchman, er henchgirl, and they all had to notice. "Please just do me this favor, Oswald, and drop it!" he hissed. If he weren't in such high position within the gallery, he would have gassed him right there and then.

The Penguin smiled sinisterly. "Very well. We won't discuss it anymore." He gave the cane to one of his numerous goons, who carried away into the shadows. "It'll be ready and dropped off at the usual place."

Crane nodded, before starting to walk away.

"Oh, and just a tip: watch yer back. Ye're not the only one who specializes in fear toxin in this city anymore," the Penguin added, before chuckling darkly as he made his way towards his room.

Crane rolled his eyes at the older man. The Penguin was getting old, and it was likely that the stress and age of his life of crime had affected his brain. Still, it would be unwise to just ignore him. The Penguin had a knack for being right, and he knew it. So, he would keep his words in mind, for now.

He wandered over to the Harley's table, going to retrieve Becky from her newfound friends.

"…And then, when all the guards were asleep, Puddin' actually snuck out of his cell, and drew faces all over them. It was hilarious! Some of the others got the same. You should have seen what he did to the Professah. He drew unicorns and rainbows all over him. You should have seen his face when he looked in the mirror. It was hysterical!" Harley finished, nearly falling off her seat as she laughed.

Crane cleared his throat.

All three turned to look at him.

"Hehheh, hi Professah," Harley nervously giggled, as she looked up at the unamused face of the Scarecrow.

"If you're quite done spilling whatever it is you two gossip about all day, I came to get Scream."

"Oh," Harley stated, before cheerfully waving goodbye to her. "Bye, Scream."

Becky nodded as she got up, waving goodbye to her new friends as she followed Crane out the door into the cold Gotham air.

Becky and Crane made their way back to their lair. Dawn was barely breaking over the horizon, and the fear of the Bat dissolved with the light, and the two found themselves relaxing, as the main cause of their anxiety had passed.

"So, what was the meeting with Cobblepot about?" Becky asked, curious. It wasn't often that Crane ever left his lair. Usually, it was to grab a bite to eat from the Mario's Pizzeria on 11th street, and that was usually takeout.

"Just information on a new chemical shipment," he replied, helping her over a tricky incline on the roof. "Nothing much."

They were silent for a while. About halfway to their destination, Crane decided he had enough silence for a bit and needed something to get his mind off of the ominous words of the Penguin.

"So," he started awkwardly, not used to starting the conversation with her. Usually, she was the one to start the conversation, most likely bored of his silence and unsociableness. "How was Harley?"

At this, Becky groaned, her fingers rubbing her temples as a throbbing headache formed from Harley's loud voice. "Never…again."

Crane chuckled. "She tends to have that effect on newcomers."

They soon came to their hideout as the goon guard opened the door for them.

Removing his hat and mask, Crane tiredly trudged down the stairs. He had not slept for three days straight, and the effort of interacting with his fellow rogues had drained him of his remaining energy.

"Are you okay, Crane?" she asked, noting the tiredness in his voice and movements. He almost seemed like he was a zombie or a robot, or worse, a zombie robot.

"I'm fine," he snapped, barely suppressing a yawn.

Becky raised an eyebrow. "Really? Because it looks to me like you're dead on your feet. Seriously, you were just about to yawn, weren't you?"

"I wasn't! And I'm fine!" Crane snarled.

"Oh yeah? When's the last time you slept?" she retorted, crossing her arms, a small smirking smile on her face.

Jonathan scowled. "It doesn't matter. It's my lair. I can do whatever I want!" he harrumphed, pushing past her as he started to enter his lab.

Becky sighed, shaking her head. "I didn't want to do this." She pasted a large, almost fake smile on her face as she started to walk away from him. "Oh well, I guess you won't get any of that delicious, energizing coffee, then."

Crane immediately froze mid-step, slowly turning to face her, his anger barely skin deep. "What…did you do…to my coffee?!" he ground out, gritting his teeth as he tried to keep himself calm. It wouldn't do to kill her. She was much too useful to just be killed over coffee. But it was very, _very_ tempting.

Becky just continued to grin. Revenge was sweet! "Oh, wouldn't you like to know?"

"Tell me where it is!" Crane blurted out, his right eye starting to twitch.

Scream was enjoying every minute of this. "Only if you take a break and sleep," she replied.

"No!"

Becky barely contained a giggle. "Then I guess you won't be seeing your coffeemaker…. ever…. again."

Crane looked like his head was about to explode. He didn't like having to make deals to save his stuff. It was incredibly demeaning for him. But he knew that he couldn't win this one. He could make no progress in his projects without a generous amount of coffee and she had hidden the coffeemaker. And knowing her knack for hiding things and finding hiding places from him, he could probably kiss the machine goodbye if he didn't agree to her demands.

He finally sighed, giving in. "Fine. One hour."

"8 hours," she replied.

"3 hours," he retorted.

"5 hours, and that's my final offer," Becky stated, crossing his arms.

Crane gauged her price. Coffeemaker or sleep? He made his choice. "Fine. But at least get some sleep, too. Your first heist is tomorrow."

Becky nodded. "Alright then. We have a deal."

As Jonathan reluctantly trudged off to his room, Becky couldn't help but pump her fist in victory. It was rare when she could convince him to take a break from his work, and she would take advantage of it.

As she flopped on the sofa, sending the kitten jumping onto the coffee table as she settled herself on the couch, which was the only other place to rest. She wouldn't dare sleep near Crane. That…would just be weird. So she settled on the couch, pulling the blanket over her legs as she settled for a short rest. She knew tonight would be a big night.

For tonight would be the first heist as Scream, and the first step in her new life of crime with the Scarecrow


End file.
